To all of you who have prayed and inquired about my newphew, Max, now 8 years old and in third grade – he is doing well through the miracle of your prayers. Of course last month in August, as he was rough-housing in his room, he caused something on a shelf to fall on his head at the exact same place as last year’s frature. More ER, more angst. He’s OK. My sister Emilie, Max’s mom, tried to get the neurologist to tell Max to wear a helmet whenever he is on his bike or skateboard, but the doctor wouldn’t fall for her maternal manipulation. He told her after that she had to let him be a kid.

No one knows the long-term consequences of his head crash injury as Max matures, but we hope and pray.

Latest Max Story (this week, September 16)

So my sister calls me and tells me this story.

I picked max up at school and he was eating a bag of cheese curls. As we drive off I ask him how his day went. He says, “So. I know about the tooth fairy.”

I looked in the rear view mirror; there was orange all over his mouth and fingers; he was very intent on the cheese curls, munching….

“What do you know about the tooth fairy?’

“That she doesn’t exist.”

“But who takes your teeth and puts the money there?”

“You, mom. I found out.”

“How did you find out?”

“I asked Ask.com.”

Emilie told me she was speechless. She had no answer for that.

Munch, munch.

Then she said, “Don’t you think you should ask someone else, like that science show, Bill Nye The Science Guy ( that tests all this stuff) to see if it’s real?”

And Max said, “What are you gonna do, Mom? Blow up the tooth fairy?”

By this time Emilie had me laughing so hard on the phone…. Then she told me that she told Max and the family that she wants to get a little cake on the anniversary of his accident and thank God that he is OK. When Max heard cake all he could think of was party and he starts all this planning (presents? He found a lot of money in those get well cards last year…) I told her she should have just stuck with lighting a candle at church and saying a prayer….

Anyway, as you can see, Max appears to be doing very well. So many thanks for your prayers and kindness.

R 9-19-09

Max’s head continues to do well…. And he is still contributing to my workshop “tool box” with the stories my sister shares about him… Max just turned 8 and is in second grade.

Max and the News

My sister told me that one morning a few weeks ago she found Max in front of the television crying. She asked him what was wrong and he said, “This is scary.” She had to news turned to one of those cable “news” shows that “rant”.

The conversation went something like this:

“Max, well, because people are already talking about these problems means that someone will take care of them. [Pause] do you feel better now?”

“No.”

“Max. Mommy and Daddy know about these problems and we won’t let anything bad happen to you. [Pause] Do you feel better now?”

“No.”

Then Emilie got a bright idea.

“What if we ask Jake (Max’s brother, older by two years, who is Max’s idol – except when they are fighting) if everything will be ok, will you feel better then?”

“Maybe.”

______

Max, Jake and The Human Body exhibition

Here’s what my sister posted the other day on Facebook about their educational trip to the museum to see the exhibit about The Human Body:

“Yesterday me and the boys went to Baboa Park to see the Human Body Exhibit (real bodies)… thought it would be educational. All I heard was: “this is boring”, “I’m thirsty”, and “Jake look (giggle, giggle, laugh)”. FYI most of the bodies were male. Max though it was hilarious. Jake said the Dinosaurs exhibit was more interesting.”

As many of you know, I get my best media literacy material from my nephew and Godson, Max. His accident in October elicited prayers from so many generous people.

So I have decided to add a page to my blog dedicated to Max, media, religion & pop culture stories (his older brother Jake also has some memorable lines, too).

Then just yesterday, Emilie sent this photo and email about an extraordinary encounter she and the boys had at their local Barnes and Noble bookstore. I just visited them this past weekend and we went to B&N three times (! My favorite Christmas gift after a Starbucks gift card is a B&N gift card!) and we only met other bookworms like us. Then yesterday this man and his son commented on Max’s scar (from his crash into a tree):

Emilie wrote:

Hey All,

Today at Barnes and Noble in Encinitas a nice guy and his boy walked up to me and asked about Max. He introduced his son (Jake) and said that he had the exact same scar that Max has (his was due to a surgery for seizures). He wanted us to know that the hair will grow in and cover the scar, etc…. Meanwhile, while talking I kept thinking: I know this guy…

So, as we were saying “good bye: I said, “I think I know you….” And he said “Yeah, I am an actor” and I said “Agent Weiss (Greg Grunberg) from Alias and the mind reader from Heroes!” and he nodded… and then I said (too loudly) “I love you!” (You know, meaning his characters in the show…) He blushed and then I blurted out: “Well, I don’t love you, I don’t even know you”. His son was cracking up…

I asked for a picture with Jake and Max in … the other boy is his son Jake.
It was very cool. Greg Grunberg is a spokesperson for epilpsy.

(Em gave me permission to post this photo).

Here’s a PS from Emilie:

Max said as we were leaving B&N and within ear shot of Greg and his son, “Why are you making so big a deal out of that man?”
I tried to explain that he is an actor (like Jim Carrey, they had seen Yes Man) and Max just said “ok”…